Overview

Personal pensions are pensions that you arrange yourself. They’re sometimes known as defined contribution or ‘money purchase’ pensions. You’ll usually get a pension that’s based on how much was paid in.

Some employers offer personal pensions as workplace pensions.

The money you pay into a personal pension is put into investments (such as shares) by the pension provider. The money you’ll get from a personal pension usually depends on:

  • how much has been paid in
  • how the fund’s investments have performed - they can go up or down
  • how you decide to take your money

Types of personal pension

There are different types of personal pension. They include:

You should check that your provider is registered with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), or the Pensions Regulator if it’s a stakeholder pension.

Paying into a personal pension

You can either make regular or individual lump sum payments to a pension provider. They will send you annual statements, telling you how much your fund is worth.

You usually get tax relief on money you pay into a pension. Check with your provider that your pension scheme is registered with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) - if it’s not registered, you will not get tax relief.